The End of Fear is Where We Begin
by macolly
Summary: Takes place in some not to far future from 3X09. It's Keith, Logan, Veronica. A little LoVe thrown in too. It's M because Wallace curses once. Blame Wallace, boy's got a mouth on him.


**A/N So I totally blame this on the Goo Goo Dolls, Regina Spector, and The Fray, and having their songs "Let Love In, Fidelity, and How to Save" on constant loop in my head. This is a little OOC for Keith, Veronica, and Logan, but I think I'm incapable of writing good angst. At the least it should be fun, and after losing LoVe last night, this was my answer for a future reconciliation where its big on the cheese. **

_Disclaimer: **The title is a line from "Let Love In". **__I don't own them, if I did it wouln't be as good._

It's a little before ten as Keith shakes the bartender's hand, finished with his questions for a case he's working on. He gives his compulsory look around the hazy room to check if there is anyone who shouldn't see him talking to the bartender. His breath catches he glimpses a familiar form. He relaxes though when he realizes that this person is in no way a threat to his case-- just to his level of stress. He studies the form at the other end of the bar, shoulders haunched, staring into his glass, and Keith wishes that he just walked out and had not been extra careful. The bar tender notices what has gotten Keith's attention.

"Yeah that's a sad one, been here almost every night for three weeks. I usually have to call him a cab. Although sometimes a black kid picks him up. Doesn't seem to bother anyone though, and always leaves at least a $100.00 the next day when he picks up his SUV."

Keith sighs and looks at the figure again and reasons that he shouldn't interfere. Veronica would not want him to interfere, but his curiosity peaked at the bartender's mention of Wallace helping him and his conscience is wrought with the fact that this boy, no correction man (after all he's been through) has gifted him twice with Veronica's life. And this is the least he can do. Actually, he thinks, Logan can call him every day the rest of his life for a favor and it still would not be enough retribution. "Actually, don't call him a cab tonight, I'll take him." He gets that out quickly before he can over think his decision.

The bartender nods and doesn't offer or ask anything else. Keith sighs and after a few strides he fills the seat next to Logan. Logan hasn't yet glanced at the person next to him, and Keith signals to the bartender. "Two coffees."

Keith watches Logan flinch at the familiar voice. Logan eyes him but doesn't say anything. The bartender carries over the requested beverages. "Drink up." He pushes one towards Logan, "I'm taking you home, but don't really want to have to carry you to the car."

Logan slams the rest of his drink back and drunkenly signals to the bartender's back for another. "I'm fine really; I don't need any more Mars's obliging themselves to me out of guilt and nothing more. Thanks, but no thanks. I have a plan worked out with the bar tender."

Keith ponders his words carefully, and realizes there was a greater factor in Logan's and Veronica's separation than he previously believed. Keith doesn't really know what happened between Logan and Veronica, doesn't really want to. He had assumed Logan messed up with his daughter yet again. Since, Logan isn't exactly a dream come true for fathers on the surface, he had been momentarily relieved that she wouldn't be dating him. Of course, he was then filled with an odd fear that no one except Logan would be looking after her well being with such fervor either. But he had always assumed that once again in the near future Logan would do something to make it up to his daughter and he'd be darkening his doorstep again, but now he's not so sure. Add to this theory what he's seeing tonight; Logan of years past would have been drinking with friends and wreaking havoc on Neptune and anyone not in the 09'er district. Not here alone in a non-descript bar with nary a friend or floozy in sight. He wonders not for the first time if his daughter was in the wrong, and considering one of the last conversations he heard between them, she might very well have been.

"Logan what happened between you and my daughter?" He hopes for a more honest answer than what his daughter gives him. Of course with the amount of liquor Logan has drunk and that's only referencing the bottles and glasses in front of him now, he hopes the truth may flow a little more easily. Logan grimaces at him. Keith feels a little on edge with the glint in Logan's eye and braces himself for the harsh words that he knows will follow.

"You don't think your little girl's honest with you? Surprise, surprise. Trust must not be something taught in your home. At least that explains a lot. And here I though the bond between father and daughter Mars was something to be envied. Do you want the truth Keith? Ask yourself that. She keeps us in a bubble for our own good. Let's us all believe what's easiest. The cost of the truth is far more valuable to her, than her relationship with anyone, including you. The ironic part is that she doesn't ever want to give the truth up either. Far be it for me to call her on her bullshit. Doesn't ever want to talk either, just tilts her angelic head, bats her eyes and occupies me in other ways."

Keith is eyeing Logan warily clenching both his fists at what Logan is alluding to. "Logan." He says his name as a warning.

"Yeah one would think that with all she's been through the last thing she would do is wield sex like a weapon, but she does. All. The. Time. Although, I'm not real sure if it's me or her that she's trying to punish, or maybe in some Freudian way you." And his finger pokes the air in front of Keith.

Keith's Adam-apple takes a rough bob as he swallows to consider his next words closely. "Logan what are you talking about?"

"Your daughter was raped twice during high school and almost a third time this year, and it was all me."

Keith knows he should actually think this through instead of launching himself at Logan, but his feral, protective beast blinds all logic and he pummels him. And although his logic begins to kick in that Logan wasn't fighting back, and it's all a twisted ploy to goad Keith in to hurting him, it isn't until he hears another familiar voice that he lets up.

"Logan, Mr. Mars, What the fuck."

Wallace has fortunately appeared, and with the help of the bartender pulls Keith off of Logan and sets him on the floor a distance away. Wallace grabs an icepack another employee of the bar hands him and tends to Logan for a second. Relieved that there isn't much damage, turns to Keith for answers.

"Wallace did you know?" Keith stammers as sadness overtakes him and hate fills his voice. "What this beast did Veronica?"

"What? Mr. Mars I'll agree with you that most of the time and to most of the world that Logan is the biggest Jackass ever, but aside from his past, I'll tell you that in the last eight to ten months or so he's really tried to change. And I'll reference him saving your daughter's ass twice in the last year as some examples. I've got plenty more too." He raises his fingers one at a time pretending to figure out exactly how many examples he does have.

Keith waves his hand in front of Wallace. "That won't be necessary, just tell me when did he rape her?"

Wallace sighs loudly and looks at Logan and shakes his head sorrowfully at how sad Logan actually is.

"This boy is seriously whacked, I can tell you that he has never ever raped her. Beaver did, and so did Duncan technically, although Veronica has some story about both of them being drugged, but I side with Logan on that, it was still rape. He just blames himself for all of it. Especially most recently, with him bringing Mercer into her life, and trusting him enough to get Veronica to clear his name the first time."

"Logan, God Damnit." Keith is still shaking in anger, but is calming at the absolute trust that Wallace has in Logan. There is definitely some sort of understanding between them, and if Wallace can defend Logan, than Keith realizes that Logan wanted punishment just to feel something, and Keith's heart breaks a little when he thinks of Logan's childhood, and how Logan has conditioned himself that love ultimately comes with physical pain.

Wallace sighs uncomfortably with having this next discussion with Keith, but he spends the next few minutes clearing everything up for him, including the details of the break-up.

Keith is shocked, saddened, disappointed, and a little angry at his daughter. And looks at the man on the floor with the black eye, and the broken heart, and decides instantly to look after him for the foreseeable future. Give him the one thing he doesn't have in his life; someone to guide him into adulthood, someone that without question he can depend on. And he knows that Logan won't allow it to come easy, and he knows his daughter will be a petulant brat about it, but he doesn't really care anymore. Somewhere along the way with everything that has happened to him, he has turned into a decent man and a man capable of putting his life and feelings before others.

"Wallace help me help him to my car, he's coming home with me tonight" He crouches down next to Logan, who has now passed out, and grabs an arm and slings it over his shoulder, Wallace does the same from the other side and they guide Logan to his feet. "Do you know what Veronica is really doing tonight? She said not to expect her early, something about studying with Mac and Parker, but she had that lying quality to her voice that I'm growing quite familiar with."

Wallace sighs again and looks carefully at Logan, to make sure he's still pretty much out. "She's on a date, with my room mate Piz."

"The kid with the bad hair?" Keith clarifies, and Wallace nods. Another shot of annoyance overwhelms Keith, and his anger at his daughter intensifies.

"Any chance Logan knew of this?" Keith asks.

"There is a chance Piz might have been talking loudly in the commons about it in front of Logan."

"If he's that big of a jerk, I'm not sure if Veronica should be dating him."

"He's not really. He's a decent guy, a bit naïve even, but unfortunately not being from Neptune he doesn't really get the devastation that happened here and what Echolls has lived and almost died through. And Logan's never been easy on him so therefore Piz enjoyed flaunting this a little in front of Logan."

Keith rolls his eyes and still feels like this Piz kid is the world's biggest asshat as they lead Logan out of the bar.

They deposit Logan into the back seat of Keith's sedan. As Wallace turns to leave Keith shakes his hand.

"Don't give Veronica a head's up on this. At least this way I can have a somewhat honest conversation with her, instead of her avoiding me, or contriving something else."

"I didn't plan to, I love 'V' like a sister I really do, but sometimes she is infuriating when she doesn't want to hear she's wrong. I'd appreciate it if you didn't incriminate me too much, or better yet maybe you should, she might be less apt to run away."

Keith smiles and nods at him, and enters his car. As he drives home he never thought to ask Wallace how he found Logan the first time, and he is a little grateful that for his daughter and now Logan that there is a Wallace Fennel in this world.

He pulls into the complex's parking lot, shuts off the car, gets out, and opens the door behind him. He slaps Logan's unbruised cheek a little bit to stir him.When that doesn't work he slowly pulls him to a sitting position and careful of his head, and then pulls him up to rest on him. He kicks the door closed and leans Logan back against it to balance him. "Logan" he calls and shakes him a little, getting no response again. He leans into the driver's seat again, and pulls out a water bottle. "Sorry kid", he mumbles and then squirts some water on his face.

Logan blinks his eyes open and moans a little.

"Sorry about that, but I'm going to need you to at least walk a little bit."

Logan is still too far gone to even realize who he's with, but doesn't stop Keith as he pulls one of his arms over his shoulder and begins to lead him to his apartment.

After entering his apartment, Keith looks over at the couch, but then decides that a bed is a better place for Logan, and so he leads him into Veronica's room, and the irony of the situation hits him, and Keith has to keep himself from laughing. After depositing Logan on Veronica's bed, Keith goes into the kitchen and grabs his first aid kit, and another icepack, and some Motrin. Logan remains still as Keith attends to the wounds he put there, and it isn't until he puts the icepack on his face, that Logan stirs.

"Where am I?" he asks confused, and child-like.

"Logan its Keith Mars, your at my place in Veronica's room."

Logan inhales deeply, and briefly looks relieved, but the anguish overtakes his features, and tears fill his eyes. Fortunately its short lived as alcohol calls him to sleep again.

Keith is a little relieved as he didn't know the best way to comfort someone over his daughter.

Its a little after 2:30 when Veronica enters. He's watching the game he Tivo'd earlier in the week in his room. He hears her gasp as she opens the door to her room and he feels vindicated just a little bit. He hears her door close, her feet shuffling closer to his room.

She knocks, opens the door, and then peeks her head around the side.

"Dad?" she asks with that voice where she's feigning innocence and accusing him all at the same time.

"Yes Dear" he's feigning knowledge of any kind.

"Umm am I married? Because that was the impression I had about any boy being allowed in my bed?"

"There's a boy in your bed?"

"Wait, you're telling me that you know nothing of a drunk, banged up, passed out, Logan my ex-boyfriend, boy sleeping in my bed. Did he somehow just poof appear here?"

"Well all you need to worry about is he's here, and he's staying the night, you can find somewhere else to sleep, or sleep in there with him, I don't really care at this point."

"Dad, what the hell is going on? You could barely tolerate him when we were dating.

What's changed?"

"Veronica, I barely tolerated any of the guys you dated. And, yes, Logan is not exactly the guy I would have chosen for you, but I've even recognized some of the growth as a person that he's achieved this year. And right now I'm helping him. I'm going to let him stay here for as long as he needs."

"So, are we going to put bunk-beds in my room then, Dad, I'm vetoing this idea anyways you can't let me cohabitate with my ex."

"Veronica, you don't pay the bills here, this is my home, and whoever I want to stay can stay."

She huffs a little, but shrugs her shoulders and says, "It doesn't matter. He would never accept your offer anyway. To live outside of the life he's used to, and accept help of any kind is not really his way."

"Veronica, first of all, for dating him, and being friends with him for the past seven years or so, you really don't seem to know him at all. This not accepting help thing is your shtick not his, and while I'll give you that he won't want to be anyone's charity case, I'm not planning on making him feel like one either. He deserves people in his life that he can count on, and who trust him return." He threw in that last bit to let Veronica know he knows more than she thinks.

"You're siding with him, this is great, just great, did you look at him Dad he's all beat up you don't, he probably lit a hotel on fire or something before you found him."

"First of all he's beat up, because I beat him up, and secondly my dear, where did you develop all these mistrust issues. Especially to him, you know he saved your life twice, and for what I've seen of him in the last few month he seems to put your safety and well being above all else, and I have to say that is not an unappealing quality for a father to see in his daughter's suitor. What am I missing? Why are you so mad with him?"

"Dad there's so much I didn't tell you about the year Lilly died, about the jackass he was, about the pivotal role he played in turning the 09'ers against me, about what happened to me personally and his role in that, and sometimes I have a hard time letting go of that."

"I can understand that Veronica, and tonight I was very much caught up in the knowledge of your multiple rapes, hence his face, and so I ask, why then did you decide to date him at all in the first place?"

"Because I've never… he makes me feel… Dad this is not an easy conversation for a girl to have with her Father."

"Humor an old man just a little, are you trying to say that he makes you feel alive, like everyone else in life is just kind of a blurry blob?"

"Something like that, yes."

"Veronica, that's a lot like love and it's something that you should want to run towards not away from."

"Well, Dad, I can't exactly say that from my experience trusting people like that always works, because it always falls apart in the end. And this way I'll never let them get too close, never give anyone that power to hurt me that badly. I've seen it everywhere, love's power to destroy, even in my own home." She's crying now.

"Veronica, that's no way to live life honey. Hurt is a part of life, its every bit as important in life as joy. You can't really know one without experiencing the other, and to live the way you are is not living at all, it's waiting to die" He hugs her as she continues to sob. "And that's why I'm going to help him out for a little while Veronica, he needs to know that pain isn't the only way to feel anything either. Do you know that he baited me into thinking he raped you tonight, fortunately for Wallace."

"Wallace that traitor."

"Well it's a good thing he was there to clear a few things up for me. You might have been picking me up from the police department, God Veronica, he wouldn't even fight back."

"It's late, do you want to take my bed, I'll sleep out there?"

"No, I'm not real tired, I'll try to fall asleep watching TV. And this way I can check on him."

Keith kisses the back of her head as he releases her. "I love you kiddo, goodnight"

"Love you, night." She moves out of his room and closes the door. She hesitates for a second, and then realizes she's still in her "date" clothes from earlier with Piz. 'What a mess I am", and she thinks to Piz's earlier attempt to kiss her, how she pulled away the second his lips hit hers feeling like she was cheating, knowing who her heart still belongs to. And she opens her bedroom door for the second time that night, she moves to her dresser to grab her pajamas, and turns to grab a pillow off her bed and stops as she notices his eyes open and watching her.

"Hey" she whispers trying to gauge if he's really awake. His eyes are extremely glossy, and she can't tell if it's from the alcohol or if they're filled with tears. She sits next to him, and entwines her hand with his.

"Veronica?" he whispers it out as a question.

"Logan, it's me, you're in my room, my Dad brought you home."

He nods his head realizing everything he heard was real and not just another one of his wistful dreams.

"C'mere." He flicks his wrist to pull her to him. She lands on his chest and he's a lot sorer than he realized as he lets out a groan.

She tries to push off of him, but his arm wraps around her to hold her in place. "Please, just stay there. But look at me."

She obliges him and now there faces are inches away from each other. Her eyes are filled with tears, and he wipes them away with his free hand. "Hey, hey, its okay. Don't cry." He places a kiss on her forehead.

"Logan, I am so sorry..."

"Shhh let's talk in the morning, just stay here, we both have a lot to apologize for, I know that, but right now, I just want to sleep with the girl I love in my arms. I think I heard your Dad say he didn't care before."

She smiles at him, and places a chaste kiss on his lips "I do love you." She tells him honestly.

She is rewarded with another kiss. He runs his hands through her hair and feels her settle into him. It's only minutes before the beating of their hearts harmonize, their breathing deepens, and they both sleep soundly.


End file.
